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hardly be suspected of being depauperate with such pos- 

 sibilities as its habitat suggests. It is a perfect fern on 

 a liliputian plan and must reach the proportion for which 

 it was ordained. Species of Cornus, Celtis, Ccrcis, and 

 Prunus are among the trees which form the outskirts of 

 these sheltered glades, with the ever present Callicarpus 

 Americanus. At the foot of trees and among lower 

 growth, Aspleneum ebeneum forms beautiful clumps. 

 The fruiting fronds are so tall and broad in the middle 

 as to be easily mistaken, at a casual glance, for the 

 Christmas or sword fern. The finest are to be seen lean- 

 ing against the trunk of small trees or shrubs, apparently 

 a forethought that the tall fruiting fronds may be pro- 

 tected from accidents to which they are liable when pros- 

 trate. An occasional clump of Polystichum achrosti- 

 choidcs is also found in such places, but this is not its 

 preferred habitat. This fern loves the shade, but re- 

 quires more moisture than the loose sandy soil holds, and 

 is found at its best on the thickly wooded slopes bordering 

 streams where the water trickles in wet seasons and the 

 earth is ever moist. Here it forms magnificent speci- 

 mens, the tall, leathery fronds of a rich green heightened 

 in effect. by contrast with the rich brown of chaff and 

 indusium. Its erect habit makes it one of our most 

 beautiful ferns. Each clump seems more perfect than 

 the last, with every leaf so arranged that it requires some 

 courage to upset one though ever so plentiful. 



Follow the Christmas fern to the edge of the stream 

 and there the lady fern (Athyrium Hlix-foemina) is sure 

 to hold sway, from the most delicate straw colored forms 

 which hug the ground and dip into the edge of the water 

 to those of a darker green with bright transparent red 

 stipe and rachis. The latter stand erect, two feet and 

 more tall, and grow higher up where the soil is not so 

 wet. A beautiful variety is this especially as seen in the 

 sunshine, which brings out the rich translucent coloring. 



The Woodwardias, too, follow streams, but streams 

 of a different order — Pine Barren streams, where the 

 flora is altogether different from that of the rich wooded 



